World Radio Day is celebrated on February 13 every year, to celebrate radio as a medium of entertainment and information and the mode of communication. The theme of this year's World Radio Day is 'Radio and Diversity'. The main object behind celebrating World Radio Day is to raise awareness among the public and the media of the importance of radio, secondly to encourage decision-makers to establish and provide access to information through radio; as well as to enhance networking and international cooperation among broadcasters.
Radio is one of the most powerful medium in all its diversity. At the global level, radio remains the most widely consumed medium. It has a unique ability to reach out to the widest audience. It can shape a society's experience of diversity and can even stand as an arena for all voices to speak out, be represented and heard.
In the world, Sweden is the first to adopt freedom of the press into it's constitution. In Nigeria constitution, it was stated in chapter four, under FHR that"right to freedom of the press". The stands for those who uses pen as a tool for justice through the media to disseminate information. Every broadcasting organization have it's journalist that survey for newstories. Freedom of the press is covered by the same constitution as freedom of speech.
It has equal treatment to spoken and published expression. Had it been there is no freedomof speech,the press/journalist will be stagnant or sluggish in their field so the two rights are cyclical, it works interchangeably. The ability of citizen to talk freely will also helps the press to create more innovation.
Radio is a mass medium that can be harnessed to enhance an education campaign since it can span great distances and reach a large number oflisteners. Because of its wide coverage, relatively low unit cost, ability to reach those who are illiterate and without the use of mains power, it has proved to be an effective educational medium. The features of the radio medium are: it is a ‘blind’ (ie non‐visual) medium; it functions in real time; and its codes are purely auditory, consisting as they do of speech, music, sounds, noises and silences.
The fact that it is non‐visual can be harnessed to improve education quality since the listener is compelled to support the sound message by using his/her own imagination.
Because of this radio has come to be associated with emerging musical tends, including genres such as punk and new wave, alternative rook and ship hop, long before those genres become part of the musical mainstream. Radio also provides airplay and promotional exposure to new and emerging local artists.
Radio plays an important role for everyone to exercise his/her freedom of expression. It keeps government closer to the people and for policymakers to have better understanding on how their actions are being perceived.It is affordable for both the rich and poor, disseminating information and ideas among citizens anywhere and anytime because of it's portability.It is also unlimited for the blind also.
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